Joel Embiid has not requested a commerce from the Philadelphia 76ers, however that doesn’t imply two rival groups particularly aren’t monitoring the tense James Harden state of affairs carefully.
Harden seems destined to be on the transfer from Philadelphia after calling Sixers basic supervisor Daryl Morey a “liar” in a latest look at a camp in China.
Harden added he would “by no means be part of an organisation that he’s a part of,” referring to Morey, who was additionally his longtime GM throughout his time at Houston.
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Harden slams Sixers boss as “liar” | 00:24
The 76ers celebrity solely doubled down on these claims when talking to KHOU 11 quickly after, seemingly resigned to the actual fact his relationship with Morey can’t be repaired.
“I believe so,” Harden stated on the time.
The NBA has since launched an inquiry into these feedback, with Harden stated to have informed the league as a part of that investigation why he publicly got here out and referred to as Morey a “liar”.
A report from The Athletic claims Harden stated Morey informed him he can be traded “rapidly” after opting in for a $35.6 million cope with Philadelphia forward of the 2023-24 season.
That didn’t occur although, with the Sixers now reportedly anticipating to maintain Harden.
Harden, nevertheless, is pushing for a commerce and it has two NBA groups thinking about what that would imply for celebrity teammate Joel Embiid.
“Everybody’s circling, ready,” a league supply informed Yahoo’s Vince Goodwill.
“The Knicks and Miami are maintaining a tally of every little thing occurring.”
That’s per reporting from NBA insider Marc Stein, who reported in his newest Substack that the Knicks and Warmth “are amongst groups monitoring the state of affairs”.
“As a result of they might want to be on the entrance of the road if Embiid did ask out,” he added.
Stein although made positive to emphasize in his report that Embiid has not been requested to be traded and that rival groups are merely retaining tabs on developments simply in case that occurs.
“If/when that occurs is when the Harden state of affairs actually turns into a disaster for Morey and the Sixers,” Stein wrote.
The Los Angeles Clippers have been Harden’s most popular commerce vacation spot.
In accordance with Stein, the Sixers’ “major team-building targets” contain discovering ‘one other star to fortify their Joel Embiid/Tyrese Maxey core” and “preserving subsequent summer season’s pathway to important wage cap house with no matter they do”.
Stein reported that ought to the 76ers commerce Harden for a “draft-pick heavy package deal” that isn’t a sign that they may look to rebuild.
Moderately, he stories the plan can be to flip these picks in a deal to land a “top-level participant” to place alongside Embiid and Maxey, as per a kind of key team-building targets.
That in itself can also be per feedback Morey made to 97.5 The Fanatic in July.
“If we don’t get both an excellent participant or one thing we are able to flip into an excellent participant, then we’re simply not going to do [the trade],” Morey stated.
“If James have been to show his thoughts round, we’d all be thrilled. You’ve heard [Joel Embiid’s] feedback about that. However at this second, he prefers to be traded, and we are trying to honour that.”
Morey has twice traded for Harden, most not too long ago final yr in a cope with Brooklyn and beforehand whereas basic supervisor of the Houston Rockets.
Morey, whose 2019 tweet in assist of Hong Kong protesters grew to become a significant controversy in China, left the Rockets in 2020 and was rapidly employed by the 76ers.
Harden is a three-time NBA scoring champion and 10-time NBA All-Star guard. He led the NBA in assists final season.
The 76ers misplaced to Boston in final season’s Japanese Convention semi-finals, with Harden going scoreless within the second half of a decisive seventh-game defeat.
It was the sixth consecutive playoff look for the 76ers however they haven’t reached the Japanese Convention ultimate since a 2001 run to the NBA Finals, the place they misplaced to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Harden, the 2018 NBA Most Useful Participant, exercised a participant contract choice in June for subsequent season price $35.6 million, permitting Philadelphia to signal two veteran free brokers — with the understanding Morey would work on a deal to ship him to the Clippers.
Morey, nevertheless, should now take a look at retaining reigning NBA Most Useful Participant Embiid comfortable in regards to the 76ers’ possibilities to be a title contender.